TIDBITS OF TERROR – 11/12/12

The little girl from Spy Kids all grown up and in the upcoming Machete sequel. I feel old and dirty.

The biggest news of the week is that Jon Spaihts’ original script for Prometheus has finally found its way online. The Lindelof-free version of the script can be found here. Spaihts himself has confirmed that this is the real thing, so follow the link to read what could (and probably should) have been.

Joe Dante is a sneaky little bastard. Despite being completed for a long while, The Hole finally saw release this year. This has thankfully put the man somewhat back in the limelight, giving him plenty of opportunities to talk up his next projects. We know of his participation in the upcoming horror anthology Paris, I’ll Kill You. We also know that he hopes to shoot Monster Love sometime next year. What we did not know, however, is that he already has another feature ready to shoot now: Air Disturbance. Dylan Walsh and Robert Englund will star in this supernatural thriller. The film takes place at 35,000 feet on a transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to Toronto. Walsh plays Sam Davidson, a widowed father of two, whose wife recently committed suicide. When strange atmospheric conditions begin to affect the aircraft, Sam protects his children and his psychic girlfriend from some of the other passengers, particularly a fanatical minister (Robert Englund) who believes that the supernatural phenomena could be a sign from God. As other outlets have pointed out, Dante was previously attached to a project a few years back called Bat Out of Hell that dealt with vampires on an airplane. While I doubt this is a redressed version of the same property, it’s obvious that the man has had a longing to tell a tale of aeronautical terror in recent years. Air Disturbanceis set to shoot early next year.

Speaking of favorite genre directors, Don Coscarelli is out stumping John Dies At The End at various festivals now and is once again asserting that he knows exactly what he wants to make next: Phantasm 5. “There’s been a lot of speculation for a lot of time. When I made ‘Phantasm 4′ I really saw it as an end. And it really was an ending of that portion. But I will tell you that I get so many questions about ‘Phantasm 5′. And no one’s talking about remakes! They want a ‘Phantasm 5′ with the original actors. All of the actors are in great shape, Angus [Scrimm] does an excellent job in ‘John.’ And I used to just dismiss the idea of ‘Phantasm 5′, but now I have to take it a little more seriously. There is a rabid fan base that will not be denied! So once I get done with this publicity thing I have to find a way to satisfy that demand!” Good news for Phans is that Coscarelli reportedly already has a few drafts of a script for a new sequel ready that he has co-written with regular collaborator Stephen Romano. The bigger issue is financing. There have been rumors for years that Anchor Bay is interested in paying for the project. Whether true or not, here’s hoping that someone steps up to the plate to allow us at least one more Tall Man-filled journey. In the meantime, John Dies At The End will hit VOD on December 27th. A limited theatrical run will follow in February. Magnet is handling the release.

Poster art for Steven C. Miller’s Amblin tribute.

Actress/writer Axelle Carolyn will be making her feature-length directorial debut with a supernatural thriller entitled Soulmate. The project “follows a woman who decides to retreat to a remote cottage after a failed suicide attempt. She soon discovers the cottage is haunted by its previous owner but decides to remain, hoping to find comfort in the ghost.” Clare Higgins, Emma Cleasby, Nick Brimble, and Anna Walton are set to star. Outside of an interesting premise, the most notable thing about the project is that it is being produced by Carolyn’s husband and CHUD favorite, Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday).

Given the success that the current film has had, it’s no wonder that Sony has already set Hotel Transylvania 2 for a September 25, 2015 release. Director Genndy Tartakovsky will not be returning due to his commitments to Popeye, but I suspect the majority of the voice cast will appear for second go at it.

XLator Media has set The Thompsons for VOD release on November 22nd, with a home video release to follow on January 1st. The film is a sequel to the Butcher Bros. own The Hamiltons and many of the cast reprise their roles. In the sequel, a bloodbath at a gas station in the desert puts the Hamilton vampire family on the run, eventually seeing them resurface in the U.K. under a new identity as “The Thompsons.” Desperate for protection in this unfamiliar country, the Thompsons seek out the help of a shadowy underground rumored to be sympathetic to vampires.

Larry Fessenden (Habit, Wendigo) has finally returned to the director’s chair with Beneath. The project “will follow six kids stranded on a rowboat who are attacked by a man-eating fish. The horror takes a page out of Hitchock’s book as, in order to survive, the kids one-by-one vote each other off the boat.” Sounds interesting! It’s nice to see Larry back helming his own work again, as he has spent most of the last decade producing (and acting in) features for others, including most of Ti West’s work. While not always great, his own films are usually worth at least one look. Beneath is currently shooting in New England.

Eric Bana is in talks to star in Beware The Night. The film follows a NYC policeman who investigates possessions, exorcisms, and werewolves(!). Scott Derrickson (Sinister) will direct from his own screenplay.

Wes Craven has confirmed what we all knew, despite the Weinsteins’ best efforts to claim of over the past year or so: Scream 5 isn’t happening. While it is always possible that things could change, there is no movement on the property do to the latest sequel underpeforming. Personally, I think it is inevitable that the franchise will return to the silver screen. That said, it will likely be in the form of a hard reboot sometime in the next decade, not a sequel.

Coming soon to your Blu-ray shelf!

The “midquel” Death Race 3: Inferno will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD on January 22nd from Universal. While Paul W.S. Anderson’s Death Race was a middling action film, it’s DTV prequel is worth your time. This latest entry takes place between the two and sees the core cast & crew returning, so I’m expecting a good time.

Shout! Factory has scored the rights to the Beetlejuice animated series that ran from 1989-1992. All 94-episodes will make their way to DVD, likely sometime next year. If you are feeling particularly nostalgic and that a revisit is in order, watch this space for more details as they come.

Speaking of Shout! Factory, it’s time to offer up the latest titles announced by their label, Scream Factory. The Horror Show (1989) and The Vagrant (1992) are the latest additions to their 2013 line-up. They have also announced their February line-up: Prison and a double feature of TerrorVision/The Video Dead. Both will street on February 19th. In addition, the company has said they will be dishing out a “super-sized announcement” this coming Friday night at their first press panel. Check here this coming weekend for the details.

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